Dead Beneath the Snow
by LuciusMCassius Yari
Summary: Seraph Glace is a beautiful, bitter half-veela who enjoys torturing those who are seduced by him. After going to far, a classmate seeks to punish him. Will she stop the crazed boy, or will she be just another one of his victims. This won second place for


Dead Beneath the Snow 

By LuciusMCassius

**Based upon the guidelines set by the Flourish and Blotts Challenge.**

** **

Seraph Glace hated all women. He felt, that if he were to choose between the clichéd 'last woman on earth', and a dog, he would dutifully and thoughtfully choose the dog. Screw the human race and their women. In this teenager's very oxymoronic case, he had been given too much of a good thing. As a child, he had been the image of a cherubim, thus been given more than enough attention than he could stand. He had at first just broken into tears whenever someone hugged him or lavished him with affection, but slowly he progressed. He began to do things that were harmful whenever someone so much as touched him. His family rarely came over after he had skewered his aunt's hand with a kitchen knife. She claimed that she had merely tried to tousle his hair playfully.

Seraph Glace didn't just hate women- he hated everyone. His mother and father were oblivious to this. He had inherited a special kind of charm from his mother, charm he at first didn't want- it attracted too much attention. But this charm allowed him to weasel out of almost everything, even when it came to hurting people, and so he tolerated it. Without strict rules from overly infatuated parents, Seraph could do everything he wanted. There were countless moving photographs of him as a boy, surrounded by toys and sweets. They were his only delight besides his inherited powers. He had persuaded his mother to teach him how to use his 'special abilities', the kinds that were usually saved for the lesser cultured. It gave him power over people, power he turned against them.

It was understandable that the son of a veela would be just as beautiful as his mother, and just as good at twisting hearts. Yes, Seraph Glace loved to torture women; make them fall in love with him, then laugh in their faces. He didn't choose whom to seduce, nor did he go on conquests. He merely flitted his eyes in random places, to random people, and destroyed them. He wanted to feel the taste of tears on his tongue, and he wanted to hear sobs of self-loathing and confusion ringing in his ears. He only felt good when he caused people to cry out in pain and anguish, his fingers wrapped around their throats, insulting them verbally and physically. He could never bring himself to do anything sexual, so he manipulated them mentally until they cracked. He thought it was great fun.

Seraph partially closed his eyes, revealing his long, blond eyelashes. How many hearts would he break this school year? How many flushing first years would become smitten and then crushed with a single sneer? He laughed out loud, parting his lips and showing his pearly white teeth. His laughter was never warm. He shifted his icy white-blue eyes across the horizon and frowned. The damn boat was late again.

Seraph's home was definitely out of the way. He had come from a valley in India surrounded by the Himalayas. Now he was going to an "Institute of Higher Learning" run by a young American who had absolutely no idea of what he was doing. The school was actually the boat that was to pick him up. It had to cover thousands of miles to collect children; floating here and there. Still, he had been told to wait for the stupid ship at 4 o'clock in the evening, and it was now well past 6. Some arrogant underclassmen had probably acted up.

Seraph was headed to very special boarding school. He was going to stay there until the summer, then go back once fall started again. His father hated to see a pretty face go and had pleaded with his mother to let the boy stay. It was obvious who won. His mother had argued that it was priceless education, and indeed it was. For you see, he was more than an ordinary student, he was a wizard in training, and he went to a wizardry school. It went by a muggle-esque name that made his ears ring in disgust. He had an owl named Ipa, which meant "my love" in veela speak; his mother had named it. He hated his owl, and he hated his school. 

He groaned in impatience and kicked at a small rock, sending it rolling across the landscape. The breeze blew harder and he pulled his heavy traveling cloak closer to his body. His wheat-white hair whipped in the wind as he began to shiver, hoping up and down to warm himself. It was safe to say that if Seraph hadn't been so obsessed with hurting people, he might have been a reasonably decent person to get along with. He was a 4th year in "The CalMonSiber Institute of Higher Learning" and a Prefect. Teachers never caught him acting up, so his discipline record was clean. It was a shame, really, that no one really knew what he liked to do in his spare time.

He stopped bouncing up and down and looked around, making sure that no one had been spying on him. Girls from the nearby village had a tendency to follow him everywhere, and it would certainly not look good if a giant floating boat swooped out of no where and picked him up. He was already feared, he didn't need some kind of revolt on his house, people down here would believe anything. He glanced up to scan the horizon again. In the shadowed sky, covered in shades of autumn, came a familiar, dark outline.

"Ah!!" he whispered softly, "Here you are at last."

Indeed, there it was. A boat that was large enough to compete with the Titanic came roaring over the horizon. It was modeled after the famous boat, built as a giant school for 2000 children, and over 250 staff members. Courses were taught on the boat, and their eccentric Headmaster liked to go on trips with the entire school, across the world, to other lands and schools. Dorms were fitted and Boat Elves ran around day and night to keep it running. It began to slow, it's engines creaking, and at the helm, Seraph could see Peter Rocket, the bumbling Headmaster, in control of the wheel. He sighed and crossed his arms, not bothering to acknowledge that his bags had just been apperated to his dorm by some witch or wizard. The ship slowed to a halt, and Rocket, the ass, blew the ship horn in a friendly greeting. Peter Rocket loved Seraph; he seemed to think that everyone was just as perky and happy-go-lucky as he was. Seraph had thought many times about what the Headmaster's face would look like if he took one of knives he carried on him and shoved it through his throat. The thought of lovely crimson blood spilling from the man's neck made Seraph form a frosty, lustful smile. Peter Rocket thought it as a greeting and waved to Seraph, yelling something with his fingers formed in a W sign. Stupid American.

A ramp lowered from the deck and Seraph sauntered on, pretending not to notice the thousands of eyes now locked on him. He looked around lazily, noting with satisfaction that he had just as many admirers as, if not more, than last year. All the first years had turned to gawk at the fair, icy-eyed, platinum haired god that was either loved or hated by everyone at school. Many of the girls (and boys) turned a bright shade of red as he floated by. He cast only the most disinterested glances at them and wandered to the back of the crowd, before finding an empty seat and planting himself there.

The boat started again, slowly, then faster, then he couldn't see the ground passing beneath him particularly well, and even the distant horizon moved at a perky pace. He turned to study whomever was nearby, as all the surroundings were now boring to him, and finally noticed a brunette sitting beside him. He recognized her. She pursed her lips and narrowed her eyes; they felt same thing towards each other. Dislike. Not hatred, but dislike.

Her name was Bonnie "Eve" Lesson. She had come from England; her parents were ambassadors to Mongolia. She didn't like him because he had been the root to her friend's suicide. He was lucky that the friend, Lilith, hadn't left a more detailed note. All it had said was:

"He killed me before I was dead. I am finishing what he set out to do."

There had been no name or description, so the authorities couldn't pin anything on him, but he got the impression that Eve knew it had something to do with him. She was perceptive, and she was smart. He didn't like it when she searched his eyes for answers, it made him nervous. He hated anything that made him nervous. 

She was looking at him now, still hunting for an answer, or even the slightest clue. She had been close to that friend. 

*Oh well, her loss- not mine * he thought cruelly.

" It's you, " he smiled, " How are you, Eve?"

*How are you Eve, dear, good? You look good. I think I want to taste your grief a while longer, Eve, dear. * was what was really going on in his mind.

She blinked, and he felt her emotions skip.

"Fine." was all she said. 

She leaned forward, her hand outstretched, stopping to gauge his reaction. She knew he hated to be touched. Smart girl. Finally, she decided that he was safe and pushed back his coat flap. Underneath it was a Prefect Badge. She frowned further. He noticed with a slight amount of glee, that she, too, had a badge. This meant that they would be sharing a room, as they were in the same house.

"What's wrong? You're not….disappointed, are you?" he whispered lustily, mocking her.

" …Seraph." She began through clenched teeth.

"That is my name…lovely, isn't it?" he hissed, taunting her.

She growled and got up, leaving him alone. He watched her head to the boat dorms and noticed that her hips had a slight swing to them that hadn't been there last year. He smiled inwardly and turned back to gazing at the mountains in a bored manner. 

Evening fell, and there was a great feast. Good foods that mixed the Oriental and Indian cooking styles were heaped up into platters that just couldn't be emptied. Seraph enjoyed the feasts as much as anyone did, and he took the liberty to heap spicy couscous and stir-fried Calamari onto his plate. Bertie's Botts Every Flavor Jelly Beans lay in fancy silver trays by each person. He had a little bit of everything within reach; it ranged from exquisite dishes that used saffron and Indian pepper, to an elegant tray of mixed and fried rice. He even forced himself to sample some of Bertie's Botts; spitting out the Cabbage flavored ones and sucking on the Mint and Chocolate bean he was lucky to find.

He enjoyed food. He sat by all the Prefects, who shared a table to themselves. Across from him was Eve, she too ate as though she hadn't been fed all summer, and even smiled at him when she saw how possessive he was over the Seafood Sukiyaki and Shabu-Shabu. No one really talked; they just stuffed their faces until they could hold no more. 

At last they finished. Seraph sat back in a blissful state, patting his belly and recalling everything he had eaten, and what it had tasted like. His lips involuntarily curled into a smile, and he didn't even notice that half the girls at the table were now staring. He rarely smiled; this was a treat for himself and his admirers. Almost simultaneously everyone at the table let out a collective sigh and started to talk. A burly boy two years older than Seraph began to tell a story about his aunt who had visited once and had been caught smuggling packages of sweets in and out of the house to feed her sugary needs. He told them how she used to walk around shuffling, but doing it so fast that it sounded like buzzing, and whenever she was happy she would start to hum. It reminded Seraph of a humming bird. The notion of a woman the size of the boy telling the story running around humming, was so ridiculous that he let out a bout of laughter, along with the rest of the table. His eyes strayed to Eve's for a flicker of a second and he saw that she was smiling at him; the kind of smile that a flirtatious teenager flung around. He almost purred in predatory pleasure, he had her almost hooked. It was too easy.

The feast ended slowly. People lounged around like plump caterpillars ready to crawl into their chrysalis. Seraph felt his sleepy eyelids lowering and his mind drifting from the small chatter and clinking of silver ware. 

He began to think of his mother. He wondered if she was at home now, cooking her succulent meals for his father, swooping around in her long silky skirts and smiling in her mysterious manner. He didn't hate his mother as much as he did everyone else. She was the only one he allowed to caress him. Maybe it was because she was like him in many ways; only she didn't deliberately hurt people. Seraph could remember few things about his early childhood, but he had one memory branded into his mind. He had been at a party and no one would leave him alone; he had bawled and his mother, all the way across the grounds of the house had heard him. It was the only time he recalled where he allowed himself to be held and had enjoyed it.. But that had been so long ago…

"Seraph?" a voice interrupted his nostalgic thoughts.

He snapped his head to face the one who dared disturb his petulant mood. It was Eve. He couldn't help but smirk.

"What, Eve?" Her name rolled off his tongue in an unusual accent.

She shrugged and tossed her curls over her shoulder in a childish manner.

"I was just going to go for a walk, would you like to come?" she smile adoringly at him. Like a Madonna and Child. He rose, the paused, wondering why she had gone from hostile to flirtatious in a matter of hours. I t didn't seem right…

"What?" she asked innocently, hopping from one foot to another.

He looked her over carefully, his eyes boring into hers, trying to read her thoughts. He saw something that surprised him; her eyes were filled with a longing, deep and hard. She was full of a determination that nearly scared him. It would be interesting, he decided, to see if this longing she held, was for him. He smiled charmingly, pulling his lips back in an automatic manner.

"Certainly, Bonnie, dear." He replied.

She beamed and started to walk away, he followed close behind. This was going to be fun.

They walked out onto the deck, only stars lighting the night sky. Eve let out a dramatic sigh and leaned against the railing. Wind blew softly against them, making their hair drift into makeshift halos about their heads. The cool night air made their breath appear like mist from their mouths. Seraph drank in the sight of Bonnie before turning t o the night sky. It was lovely, like a blanket of black velvet covered in diamonds. He gazed at the constellation he had been born under; Draco. It shone unusually bright this night, but he gave it no thought..

He was once again distracted by Eve. She had leaned closer to him, brushing her arm against him. He jerked back in annoyance and looked at her dangerously. Even after being put down in such a fashion she had an expression that was anything but hurt. It looked almost devious. 

She opened her mouth to speak, but was cut off by a bright flash across the sky. A shooting star streaked across the sky, past Seraph's constellation Draco, and into nothingness. She smiled peacefully, pausing, then turned to him again.

"Did you make a wish?" she asked.

"I don't do wishes." He lied.

She grinned, but it was slightly forced.

"Seraph…do you want to go somewhere where we can be… alone?" nodding at the small group if underclassmen who were laughing at crude jokes some 30 feet away. 

He let out a derisive laugh; purposely putting her down and asserting his dominance. 

"Was that your wish?" he taunted coldly.

"No." she replied stiffly, "Can we just go somewhere? Now?"

He sneered but agreed. He would get her, and he would destroy her. She was too dangerous to have walking around with clues to his involvement in several dozen suicides. She knew far too much.

He was led to the front of the boat. They were lucky they were Prefects, no one else was allowed out here at night. It insured their privacy. They were completely alone now; the only sounds were the wind whistling softly and their hard footsteps on the metal floorboards.

They stopped at the very tip of the bow, fields of grass waving beneath them, barely visible, like a dark ocean, and the mountains on the horizon like giant waves. It was at times like this that he paused in awe at just how high off the ground they were. Seraph kept his distance from the edge, and from Eve. What was she planning? Was she going to throw herself at him or not? Was he going to crush her now or lead her on for a while longer? It was only the very beginning of school after all…

"Seraph…" Eve suddenly blurted, her tone no longer flirtatious. She was staring directly at his face, her hand clutching her side tightly. "I want to know the truth…"

"About what, Eve?" he sneered. What was the girl thinking now?

"How many girls have you destroyed, Seraph? How many souls have you tormented besides Lilith?!" she snarled tearfully.

He froze. She knew?!!? It wasn't possible, it couldn't be possible, she had no proof, she had no informants!! How could she know?! His mind raged in circles furiously, like a storm fueled by anguish and pain.

"I know Seraph." She spoke again, fiercely. "Did you think I asked you to walk with me for a chance to swoon at your feet? No. Not me. You slimy, evil killer. Don't act like you're surprised, because _I_ know and _you_ know what you really are."

"How?" Seraph whispered hoarsely, flexing his hands.

"Lilith, Seraph. Lilith. I found her diary, and I hid it from the police. It had everything in it," she smiled sadly at the though of her friend, "Everything, Seraph. Including your beating her mind into a selfless pulp. She would have done anything for you, but anything wasn't enough, was it?" 

She stepped towards him, her hand tighter still against her jacket coat, her eyes determined. So that was what she had been longing for. To confront him.

"Why?" she cried softly, tears running down her face. 

So the games were over. Seraph's innocent veneer was shed instantly and replaced with something beyond dark. Somewhere, in the back of his mind, he felt something in himself being broken. Perhaps it was his last shreds of decency, or perhaps it was his sanity, but for some reason unknown to him, he felt himself longing for blood. Eve's blood. 

"Why?!" he hissed in a feral tone, stepping towards her, "I'll tell you. Because it's fun!! I like it!! There's nothing better than a crying face, especially that of a human girl's!!"

Eve stood strong. She didn't appear to be scared of him, and she faced him with an air of determination unknown to him. 

"No." she spoke firmly, "You don't like it, Seraph. Every time you hurt someone, a part of you dies. Whenever I see you, with your cold smile, I see a little child inside too. It's crying, Seraph. Can't your hear it? Somewhere deep inside of you?"

Seraph blinked for a few moments then laughed his frosty laugh. How sad, the little girl thought she could stop him using psychology tricks. Well, it was too late for her, she knew too much, she had heard him confess. Even if he had forgotten his wand at the Feast, he could stop her. He advanced, his hands outstretched. 

"Eve…" he hissed though clenched teeth, "You do realize, dear girl, what I must do to you now? Don't you?"

The thought seemed to dawn on her as well, and she whipped her wand from her jacket, jumping back in fear. He was faster, however, and in an instant his fingers were around her throat. She had tried to scream a spell but it came out as a deflated squawk; her eyes bulging as he squeezed with superhuman strength. As he twisted her neck with his stiff fingers it dawned on him that he was really killing a human. Really killing one, there was no manipulation or taunting. This was with his own hands around soft flesh, and it felt so…different. He cocked his head and studied Eve's face as he chocked the life from her. It was turning a shade of red and her lips a pale blue. Her mouth lolled open, gagging for air. Her body desperately thrashed to remove him from over her, but he had long positioned himself atop her so that all of her attacks were ineffective. He blinked, ignoring the pain from her fingernails being dug into his wrists and gazed into her eyes. They were wide with fear and pain. She looked so pretty, so vulnerable, and the texture of her skin was deliciously smooth. It was such a pity she had to die. 

She let out a few more gasps before her hands slowly loosened from his forearms and fell to her sides. He stared, and she stared back, the last flicker of life disappearing from her eyes. He watched fascinated, the leaned forward, his bangs tracing her forehead as he scrutinized her every inch. She let out a soft wheeze that was cut off and her eyes began to glaze over. Her body convulsed violently and her tongue undulated before hanging to one side.

Seraph inhaled sharply; she was going away, the sparkle of life in her eyes disappearing, the color in her face deadly. It hurt strangely, seeing her go. It was almost like he was strangling himself. His eyes fluttered and he released her quickly.

She sparked to life; the glint back in her eyes; her chest rising and falling unevenly. She sputtered saliva and blood all over her blouse and his in effort, gasping for air. Her face slowly began to resume its normal color, but her eyes remained fearful beyond sanity, like a trapped rabbit. It made his mouth water. 

A trickle of blood oozed from her mouth, and she let out a cry as he leaned towards her. 

"You- you tried to kill me!!" she gasped, "You don't deserve to live, you foul-"

She stopped, hacking, holding her sides in pain. He smiled, his mind in a half daze; high on the pleasure of a near kill, and yet not. His heart wrenched in disgust and he pressed his hand to his chest, trying to ease it.. What was he doing?! This wasn't right, all of his plans of seduction, ruined!! He couldn't kill a person, watch their life drain from them…no, he could only inflict large amounts of pain, and let them turn the blades on themselves. 

He sat paralyzed in thought and fear, not even noticing Eve reach for her wand, then point it at him.

"Seraph!!" Eve croaked loudly over her tears.

His head snapped towards her and he narrowed his icy eyes. What was he going to do with her?! If he couldn't kill her, and he couldn't control her, there were no options left for him. He bit his lip angrily at his own weakness but stopped short of drawing blood when he noticed Eve's wand in her hand. His jaw slacked slightly, then tightened, preparing for the girl to attack, but no movement came.

"Seraph." Eve croaked again, "At dinner, I thought perhaps you had been good, I thought perhaps…Lilith might have read all your actions wrong and ended herself for nothing…But I see now that you are everything she described and more!!!"

She stepped up, suddenly possessed with a fire Seraph had seen so rarely in her, her green eyes refreshed and blazing after her near-death experience.

"That shooting star Seraph. I made a wish upon it." She evened her grayish brown wand to Seraph's neck and held it there. "And my wish was this: That I would never allow you to harm another person, that Lilith would be revenged!!! Now you tell me; what will it be? You can have only so many choices, Seraph. Will you repent in your ways and live as a new person, or must your life end entirely?"

He sneered caustically at her, his eyes cutting at hers. He could easily have jumped at her again, but for some reason he stood rigid, his feet were frozen to the floor. His heart lurched violently in his chest and for several fleeting moments he felt a foreign emotion; fear. It cut through him like quicksilver and made him shiver at the sight of this petite brunette girl and all that she stood for. 

He wouldn't know how to change even if he tried, he didn't particularly enjoy it when he caused death, but compared to everything else, which he hated, it was the only thing he saw as pleasurable. He didn't want to change either; he was a tormented soul, hounded by something foul that made him want to scratch his itch for sadism. Which he could do so easily with his looks. Even as a child he had liked it. Perhaps he had been born under a cursed star. But whatever the cause, he refused to repent and stood stoutly, directly against her.

"Eve." He spoke, his voice no longer hissing, but honest, true, "I don't know what's wrong with me, but I can't stop now that I've started, I can never stop. I started with the firm conviction than when I came to the end, I wanted to be regretting the things I had done, not the things I hadn't. Can you understand? I'm sick from a disease that can't be cured. Whenever someone touches me…I'm afraid they'll become just like me. I can't stand it. I live in constant fear that I'll lose the ones closest to me, so I push them away. I'm scared because I don't want them to find out what I really am and hate me. I've tried to heal it by doing everything… I even tried to love at one point in time. But nothing has worked."

The wind rose again, it's sharp, icy gusts chilling them to the bone, but neither of them moved. Seraph gazed at Eve, his eyes locked with hers, feeling almost warm, even with the bitter cold surrounding him. He had finally told the truth. Of everything; his past of crying and pain, his present with her, his future. It was odd how the words had just rolled from his tongue; it was almost soothing.

Eve stood across from him, her wand wavering slightly, as though she too were possessed. Her hair billowed behind her and she opened her mouth in shock. He supposed she hadn't been counting on that kind of an answer.

"So you really are at least a little human." She declared softly. "But since you refuse to change, what else is there to do with you? You can't have tried everything?! It sounds like you've given up to me!!!" 

She put her wand to her side, suddenly trusting him. He didn't make any hostile moves. He had tried killing her once, and he wasn't about to do it again. Thoughts cascaded in his mind, and in hers. He hadn't tried everything; there was one option left. 

Eve fingered her hair in thought, the tension between them suddenly gone. She seemed to read his thoughts as he looked at her.

"I'll go with you." She stated, "for Lilith, and for everyone else. I'll go with you and help you, no matter what happens."

Seraph laughed.

"Go where, Eve? You can't follow me to _this_ destination!!"

"Who says?!" she snapped.

Seraph stared. The girl was crazy, or maybe she thought he was just going to go on a vacation.

"You can't." he insisted again, "You don't need to. You're too young, you have your life ahead of you!!"

"Dammnit, Seraph!! You can't go on doing everything alone! Besides, I'll be there to remind you that you can't seduce every girl there is." She stomped her foot as a demonstration of finality, and smiled.

He stared for several minutes, only the wind's howling and the boat engine's moaning filled the silence. Eve was smiling at him, a sense of radiance pouring from her, waiting for his answer. He wasn't sure he could leave everything so easily. He had contemplated it, certainly, but he, Seraph Glace, committing suicide seemed so…fitting. Yet it did not; what would his mother think? His throat constricted and his eyes began to water. He-he couldn't leave his family, could he? It was so strange, and it was strangeness he wasn't sure he could handle.

"I-I don't know…" he stuttered carefully. "What if we get caught?"

"Then let's do it now." Eve smiled.

He opened his mouth, then shut it. She came to him and wrapped her arm around his. His body screamed from her touch, but he ignored it. 

"Seraph." She stared him straight in the eyes, "You're not alone anymore. You never will be. Now lets go; to a place you'll never be able to hurt a person again. You want that, right?"

He didn't move at first, then slowly, painfully, nodded. And together they approached to edge of the bow. 

Eve snapped her wand in two, and they watched the stick spew a miniature display of fireworks before sputtering out. It was like a farewell party at his house in the summer. The now useless piece of wood was tossed over the edge, bouncing off the side of the crimson painted boat, before drifting into darkness.

They stood a few lonely moments longer. Comforting and encouraging each other, listening to the hushed silence that had grasped the night. Seraph looked up, just in time to see a snowflake pass by; followed by another, and another.

"Look, Seraph." Eve breathed. "The first snow of the season."

"Yeah." He whispered, watching the little white sparkles drift across the horizon, clouding the stars. Something struck him, a thought, hidden in the back of his mind. Of just how beautiful life was, and he had ended so much of it… He pulled Eve close and they shared their warmth while watching the snowfall.

Minutes later; after shared whispers and melted laughter they jumped. They were well off the ground, they died instantly. No one bothered to search for them for two days, no bodies were found, for the new snow covered everything. Peter Rocket was charged with negligence and relieved of his position.

A funeral was held after no word was heard of them months later. Mr. Glace wept like a baby, and Mrs. Glace stared coldly at her son's grave, her heart shattered by the loss. No one could comfort either of them. Eventually they became good friends with Bonnie Lesson's parents, and were given the titles of godparents for the couple's new child, a boy. They named it Seraph.

The two students were finally found, after a long heat wave in the summer and all the snow had melted. A man who had been hunting happened upon their bodies. They were perfectly preserved, and their arms were entwined, a smile upon each of their faces. 

The End


End file.
